The Editor:
It appears our newly elected Whatcom County councilmember Ben Elenbaas is off to a running start, taking pages out of Trump’s playbook by name-calling, innuendo and false or misleading information.
Without strong pushback on businesses like the petroleum industry, coal, farming, logging and fishing, our local environment is at risk of collapse, leaving our children and their children to wonder how we could squander the gift of our world for a short-term, bottom-line profit.
We need to be better stewards of the earth, lean more towards sustainability and apply a higher standard of responsibility to our personal and business practices. One needs to look no further than Bellingham Bay to witness the environmental carnage of uncontrolled industry (Georgia-Pacific) as evidence of irresponsible corporate interest.
Each of us may make a difference; however, we must be intelligent in our choices, inclusive in our discourse and have the courage to speak out and follow through with our convictions.
I personally have become weary of an electoral college selection for President who does not reflect my personal values or represent the country that I love in a fashion consistent with my ideological demeanor. Now it has become apparent that Mr. Elenbaas is in my backyard spouting more of the same rhetoric.
Where he and Mr. Trump would let corporate interests foul our air and water, I would have them scale back and repair the damages from years of neglect. Where Mr. Elenbaas would have large scale farm waste flow directly into our streams and rivers, as in many Midwestern states, I would lobby for smaller concentrations of dairy, beef, pork and poultry operations (concentrated animal feeding operations) and fewer pesticides, fungicides and artificial fertilizers.
I would advocate for farm subsidies – not to corporate mega-farm interests – but rather assistance for organic, biodynamic and sustainable farming as well as carbon sequestering grazing operations.
Mr. Elenbaas, no doubt, believes he represents the best interests of his constituents; I contend that he is misguided and/or represents the wrong district.
Len Beckett
Blaine
The Editor:
For those who need further impetus to complete their healthcare advance directive, look no further than the novel coronavirus. This virus and the resulting disease state, COVID-19, could adversely impact our already-overburdened U.S. medical care system.
Will the COVID-19 epidemic be limited? No one knows, but even if it is, the planning efforts currently underway by government agencies, hospitals, clinics, health departments, research facilities and others will not be wasted, because the planning is good preparation for the next 21st century disaster or pandemic.
Healthcare facilities could experience severe capacity demands, which could be mitigated to some extent if people have documented their healthcare wishes prior to illness and possible hospitalization. When we complete our advance directive, we help our professional care providers better manage potentially lifesaving resources, especially if our region is in the throes of an epidemic.
Whatcom County has multiple resources to assist with advance care planning (ACP), including the Realities of Advanced Medical Interventions presentation and follow-up ACP workshops. An upcoming Realities talk is scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at the Cordata Community Co-op at 6:30 p.m. with a follow-up workshop on Wednesday, March 25 at the same time and venue. For information, visit healthministriesnetwork.net/calendar.
ACP should be done before accident, illness – or disaster – strikes. Let’s not put ourselves, our families, our professional healthcare providers or our community into impossible situations. We are all in this together.
Micki Jackson
Bellingham
The Editor:
This is in reply to a recent letter commenting on my own recent letter. Since there has been no evidence that the Blaine school board is actively pursuing a new school for Birch Bay, which means continued busing for the Birch Bay students, and since it has been about two years since the purchase of a school site was budget-approved, my only option was to vote no for additional funds to this board. I never mentioned mismanagement at all.
I am not short-sighted. I am focused on the real problem of no schools in Birch Bay and my only way to indicate my displeasure was by voting no. I am not selfish, but sympathetic for the children who have to be bused to get to the so-called good schools.
Running for the board would be useless. I believe every current member is a Blaine resident and, having over 45 years’ experience serving on homeowners’ boards of directors, I can assure you that my being the only board member from Birch Bay would not result in any changes.
I have seen nothing published to date or for years saying that the board is actively pursuing the site purchase for our new Birch Bay school.
The second point in my letter was my disappointment with the parents of the school children who are permitting their continued busing, which takes about one hour, I think. That means five hours of busing time a week, which could be better spent on doing homework, freeing up time to do family things or personal things instead.
As I said before, I have written to this board about a new school – to each individual board member – and never got the courtesy of even one reply, so you know they don’t give a hoot about Birch Bay.
In closing, you should know that Birch Bay’s 2010 population was 80 percent greater than Blaine’s, so it is obvious that Birch Bay property tax payers are paying a huge amount greater than Blaine property owners. For that reason alone, I am entitled to object to the misuse of my tax dollars going to the Blaine school district.
Mickey Masdeo
Birch Bay
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